Effect of Intermediate Metal on the Methanol Gas Sensitivity of ITO Thin Films

Abstract

ITO thin films and gold (Au), copper (Cu) and nickel (Ni) intermediate ITO multilayer (ITO/Au/ITO, ITO/Cu/ITO, ITO/Ni/ITO) films were deposited on glass substrates with a reactive radio frequency and direct current magnetron sputtering system and then the effect of intermediate metal layer and annealing temperature on the methanol gas sensitivity of ITO films were investigated. Although both ITO and ITO/metal/ITO (IMI) film sensors have the same total thickness of 100 nm, IMI sensors have a sandwich structure of ITO 50 nm/metal 10 nm/ITO 40 nm. The change in the gas sensitivity of the film sensors caused by methanol gas ranging from 100 to 1000 ppm was measured at room temperature. The IAI film sensors showed the higher sensitivity than the other sensors. Finally, it is concluded that the ITO 50/Au 10/ITO 40 nm film sensors hasthe potential to be used as improved methanol gas sensor.